Daily News from New York, New York • 78

3T ays thanks Lives Ion By SUZANNE GOLUBSKI 1 myself into going through with the operation," she said. Fifteen years Is the longest survival record of a liver transplant recipient so far, according to medical experts. A new anti-rejection drug, cyc-losporine, however, has recently Improved chances for long-term success. Hospital spokeman Paulette Lee said Rubin is out of intensive care and has progressed from critical to fair condition. "I feel grateful to the parents of the girl who; donated the liver which saved my daughter's life," said Rubin's mother.

"I grieve for the parents but I just hope they can take some consolation they gave my daughter life." Rubin said she was in a lot of pain, but that the worst is over. "It hurts to walk, but the doctors tell me my nerve endings are connecting and I'm getting stronger each time I walk." i Rubin's spirit were buoyed over the weekend when she was visited by co-members of the select family of liver transplant recipients. They had come from all over the country to honor Dr. Thomas Strazl, the surgeon responsible for the life-saving experimental procedure. "I hope I can leave the hospital by the end of the summer but I'm not going to rush anything," she cautioned.

"I don't want to have to go through another transplant" Contributions can be mailed to Friends of Elizabeth Rubin co John Mancini, IS 96, 99 Avenue Brooklyn, N.Y. 11204. Tearful but happy, 19-year-old liver transplant recipient Elizabeth Rubin of Bensonhurst yesterday expressed thanks to New Yorkers who gave her a second chance at life. The Hunter College nursing student, who is among the country's small fortunate group of liver recipients, talked for the first time since the delicate 12-hour operation last week at Presbyterian-University Hospital in Pittsburgh where she received the liver of a 14-year-old Tennessee girl. "I want to thank everyone in New York for helping me I really think they saved my life," said Rubin, who resides with her parents, Mel and Elaine, both Brooklyn teachers.

Rubin received hundreds of letters of encouragement and contributions from New Yorkers who read about her medical and financial problems. The Cropsey Ave. family originally needed $100,000 for the operation, before the Daily News and the office of Sen. Alphonse D'Amato cut through the red tape and got her Medicaid funding. "It's been like going through hell," she said, talking about the months of uncertainty and pain, the wait for a suitable organ and facing the possibility of death.

"The whole thing has been pretty scary." Rubin's liver was severely damaged by hepatitis last November and the transplant was considered her only hope for recovery. "I had to psyche Elizabeth Rubin In family snapshot. By RANDY DIAMOND vices, on Thursday to plead the board's case for more funding. The division is the board's sole funding source for its drug programs. But Gerald Armstrong, a top official of the State Division of Substance Abuse, said there is no more money available to give New York City.

He said the meeting with Alvardo was just being held as a "courtesy" to the schools chancellor. Armstrong said the division had held the board's funding at $13.1 million for the last three years despite an $18 million cut in federal monies the division has been hit with over the last few years. counselors in the city school system are based in Queens and Brooklyn. Each school district is assigned several counselors who are supposed to serve elementary and junior high schools in that district The Central Board of Education administers the high school drug counseling program. "Things are so tight without the cutbacks that the school district-based drug counselors are so busy with the junior high schools that they can only serve the elementary schools when a crisis happens with a particular student," said Lilly.

He said the counselors are unable to provide drug-prevention services. Lilly said Alvarado will be meeting with Julio Martinez, director of the State Division of Substance Abuse Ser- At least 18 school drug counselors in Queens and 28 in Brooklyn will be out of work when school starts in September because the state's budget allocation for drug programs is too small, an assistant to Schools Chancellor Anthony Alvarado said yesterday. Leavander Lilly, an assistant to Alvarado, said that systemwide, 150 of the board's 515 drug counselors will be getting the ax unless the State Division of Substance Abuse comes up with an additional $1.3 million in addition to the $13.1 million it has committed for the coming school year. Unofficial board estimates show slightly over half of the 515 drug Face-lift to start at Hoyt. St.

IRT subway station The $2.4 million reconstruction of the 70-year-old Downtown Brooklyn IRT subway station at Hoyt St, part of the MTA's Adopt-A-Station program funded by private and public money, is scheduled to get under way today. The face-lift of the aging station calls for installation of new two-tone, glazed brick walls and new entry and exit areas as well as new lighting, graphics and floor surfacing. Construction is expected to be completed in one year. The pro ect is being sponsored by the Fulton Mall Improvement Association and funded and supported through the Adopt-A-Sta-tion program by Abraham Straus, Albee Square Mall, the New York Telephone the Brooklyn Borough President's Office, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the MTA and the City of New York.

The Adopt-A-Station program coordinates public and private efforts to rehabilitate various crumbling subway stations throughout the city. One of the first stations rehabilitated under the, program was the Clark St station in Brooklyn Heights. Restoration work recently started at the Lexington Ave. line's Borough Hall stop. Architects for the project are' Mayers and Schiff Associates; the engineering is by the firm of Carlson and Sweatt, and the construction contractor is the War-shaw Construction Corp.

Cod nab at uonev in shop center 'arson' No 'vacation' from traffic rules Parking regulations will continue to be enforced at five Brooklyn high schools which will remain open during the summer months, July and August Department of Transportation (DOT) officials announced yesterday. "No Parking, School Days, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.," and "No Parking, Except Authorized Vehicles, Faculty Parking" are the two parking regulations that will be enforced, DOT officials said. The five schools are: Cathedral Preparatory Seminary, 555 Washington Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School, 500 19th St; Nazareth Regional High School, East 57th St and Avenue Xaverian High School, 7100 Shore Road, and Bishop Lough-lin High School, 357 Clermont Ave. 3 By JARED McCALLISTER A fleet-footed police officer captured a pair of suspected arsonists yesterday morning minutes after they allegedly set fire to a Coney Island shopping complex, police reported.

Police said there were no injuries in the explosion and blaze at the Luna Clothes and Furniture Shopping Center at 2851 West 8th St Fire marshals at the scene recovered 15 plastic containers, some of which were filled with gasoline. Coney Island about 2:20 a.m. Monday, when he heard a loud explosion coming from the vicinity of the shopping center. As the cop approached the stores, he saw two men come out of the shopping center. When the pair began to run from the building, the officer chased and arrested them.

Held were Jacob Bjatkouski, 37, of 2815 Coyle St, and Elyi Rouse, 29, of 1213 Avenue both of Brooklyn, police said. The pair were charged with arson and reckless endangerment Police said that the pair admitted being in the store, but that their relationship with the store or its owners, A police spokesman said that Police Off icer Michael Pechenski was patrol ling near a Con Edisonl.facilityia4t any, was not known at this time..